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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · calf · firm · mouse · chip · straw · wound · wax

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — for betting
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. firm — decided
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. shower — rain
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wax — to grow
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. chip — to eat
  24. straw — dry grass

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com